Lantern Shade, Californian Jonathan Foster's fifth, independently released, studio CD is a beauty.
The press release aptly states "the album steers towards the rock side of modern folk music," meaning Foster is more of a singer-songwriter than a folky, and that's a good thing. It makes his work more accessible without sacrificing the contemplative, lyrical aspects of folk.
A hallmark of all excellent singer-songwriters is that they avoid superficiality and Foster is no exception. While thoughtfulness is still needed to fully absorb his introspective songs they avoid the head scratching opaqueness that often pushes some music fans away from the genre.
"Alpine Line" is one of the set's fun tracks. It's a welcome contrast when placed next to "The Beast," a social commentary piece minus the preachiness that often accompanies songs of this type. The catchy "Where We Belong" - a favorite of Foster's - is an upbeat celebration of life. So is "May Our Paths Cross Again" and let's not forget the instantly memorable single that opens the album, "Stardust Saltwater."
Foster's appealing voice is quite appropriate for the kind of music he makes and he also possesses the ability to write melodies that stay with you long after the album is over.
Foster plays acoustic and electric guitars, woodwinds and percussion. Co-producing the record with him is Bruce Turgon who adds bass, 12-string guitar, organ, piano and mandolin. The drummer and percussionist is Joe Misztal. Morgan Hannaford plays mandolin on "Where We Belong." Despite working with such a small group Foster and Turgon's productions sound bigger than the band's size would indicate while never adding more to a song than what is absolutely necessary.
Not only is Lantern Shade one of the best records I've heard from an up-and-coming artist recently it also ranks with the best work I've heard from anyone so far this year.
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi...
Click on image to enlarge I've always tried to keep this blog as classy as possible. Controversial topics such as politics are discussed only when there is a relationship with a piece of music that I've written about, and you'll never see any coarse language here at all. Rest assured, for those of you who like it that way things won't be changing in the future. However, I have some sad news today that is forcing me to be less than 100% polite and I'm asking you to indulge me just this once. After 67 years, Mad Magazine , the hilarious rag that always brings back some of the top memories from my youth is mostly going away. I remember riding my bike to the local pharmacy to pick up the latest issue but after August 2019 it will no longer be available at newsstands. Beginning in September Mad can only be purchased in comic book stores or by subscription. I haven't read a copy in decades but I'm still sad that it's gone. Future issues will feature ne...
Without expressing my views on the subject here is a rerun of a post that is quite relevant today considering the surprise leak of the controversial - but not yet officially released - Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Originally published here on June 27, 2013, it has generated a higher number of comments than one of my posts usually receives. Have you ever heard of Mike Rabon? No? I didn't think so. He was the lead guitar player for The Five Americans, a band that charted five singles a long time ago. They reached the top twenty only once - in 1967 - with "Western Union," a song co-written by Rabon that is still played on oldies radio stations today. Eventually, The Five Americans went their separate ways and in the early 70s Rabon hooked up with another band, Gladstone ("From down home in Tyler, Texas U S A," their debut album cover said). From that LP the unknown group lifted "A Piece of Paper" as a single. It only got as high ...
The original lineup of Chicago has always been one of my all time favorite bands. My affection for this great horn band is such that I want to discuss all of the albums they recorded before Terry Kath's unfortunate and accidental passing. Their debut album is now forty years old, and it's followup is not far behind, yet their music endures to this day. * * * * * Everyone Must Own * * * * Excellent * * * Good * * Fair * Poor * * * * * Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Whether they were playing screaming psychedelic hard rock, jazz, blues, or love songs, everyone in the band proved they were worthy of the huge mass success that followed CTA 's release. The band's ability to play anything and play it well is the hallmark of their debut album. The stars are Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, and the horns, and even Peter Cetera demonstrates he can be a rock and roll animal when he wants to be. The standout tracks are Lamm's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It...
Thank you so much for you articulation and kindness Charlie, I am honored and humbled - In music, JF
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